Just a midwestern Catholic mom trying to do the best I can to raise my three kids and fakin' it when I can't.

Holidays

October 22, 2011

Sorry I am late with Etsy Saturday. I got a flu shot this week and two days later I was all tired and achy. I usually do write my Etsy posts on Friday evenings but last night I was ready for bed at 7:30.

One of my favorite things about fall are all the sweet/spicy smells and tastes. I thought this Toasted Pumpkin Seed Sugar Scrub from Poison Apple Potions looked good enough to eat and I imagine it smells wonderful to. I tried pressing my nose up to the computer screen to see for myself but got nothing. I guess I'll have to buy some so I can see for myself. Why don't you try some with me?

My mom and I look quite a bit alike. So much so, it was impossible for me to believe my brother all those times he told me I was adopted. Our style preferences are completely 100% different. For example, while my mom would show her Halloween spirit with a bright purple sweater dotted with orange crocheted pumpkins and black kitties all over it, I would chose something a bit more subtle like this fabulously cute sterling silver pumpkin necklace from Little Green Room. OMG I love this necklace!

I was quite pregnant with each of my boys on Halloween, both of them being winter babies. I so wish I had one of these Halloween Skeleton Maternity Shirts from Baby Talk Designs! It is both cute and kinda creepy at the same time. Love it!

As a general rule I am totally against dressing up dogs in clothes or silly costumes. I have considered dressing up our new dog in something humbling to pay her back for all the embarrassment she's caused me in puppy school but revenge has never really been my thing. I think this custom Halloween collar from Fairy Tail Collars is definitely the better option. Then we could both walk the neighborhood strutting our new fall neckwear!

Thanks for stopping by Fakin It. I have a lot more Halloween posts to get in before the 31st so keep checking back in!

October 20, 2011

I love Halloween. I mean I really Luuuuuv Halloween! You might wonder why a Catholic mom who loves her faith so much would be so caught up in this unholy day. It's really quite simple. It's because I am very self-centered. My mom went into labor on October 31st while out trick-or-treating with my older brother. I'm sure that as soon as I got a whiff of all that candy, I decided it was time for me to make my grand entrance into this chocolate filled world. I wasn't actually born until November 1st, All Saints Day, but my husband is convinced I have more Witch in me than Saint. Hee Hee

So every year I look for more fun ways to celebrate my witchiness and this year it started with a Puking Pumpkin I found on Pinterest. It literally took me less than five minutes to put this together and it was a huge it at the fall football party I took it to.

I just bought a really small pumpkin that I cleaned and carved over the trashcan very quickly. I dumped some premade guacamole onto the plate, spooning a little into the mouth opening.

I dumped some chips around the sides, covered in Saran Wrap and out the door we went.

October 07, 2011

Etsy Saturday is back and I have a very special post today. Last spring I went to a Creative Memories Crop Weekend. It was my first time and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend all that money for a hotel room. My fabulous consultant hooked me up with an equally fabulous lady named Laurie to be my roomie.

We hit it off right away, both sneaking in some Cadbury Cream Eggs as an extra treat. I learned that Laurie not only scraps but she also sews. At the time she was just opening up a new Etsy shop Sew Fun For You. And just recently she sent me a surprise in the mail.

Don't have a Cricut, don't worry, Laurie has lots of options of beautifully handcrafted items in her shop.

She has darling pillowcase dresses and super cute corker bows.

Laurie makes Cuttlebug covers, Xyron covers and even professional looking scrapbook pages all ready for you to just add a few of your favorite pictures. She will certainly customize your order if you don't see exactly what your looking for.

Until the end of October Laurie is extending her generosity to all my loyal Fakin It readers. Just type in Fakinit10 at checkout and she will give you an extra 10% off your order. It's the perfect time to start Holiday shopping for your favorite crafter.

October 03, 2011

Wow I can't believe this is my 10oth post! Who knew there was so much in my head that needed to be released? Although I am sure some of it might have been better kept to myself . I thought it would be fun to do a little look back.

I have found it so interesting to see what readers like or respond to the most. For example, my most read post is definitely the Snickers Salad. I am starting to learn that simplicity is key to a successful post but what fun is life if you can't complicate it a little?

My first post had kind of a lot going on with a President's Day Muffin Tin Meal and both children's book reviews and an adult book review. I was really proud of it even thought I think less than ten people have read that post. So if you missed it, here is a link to my first ever post!

My favorite post has to be Nature Color Art. It got a lot of good responses and was totally spontaneous. Have you ever seen the cartoon Phineas and Pherb? This was my Phineas and Pherb moment where I said "Boys! I know what we're gonna do today!" I also realized the need for more activities related to boys and that lead me to start my Scout Mom Bog.

Thank you so much to all my readers and all the fabulous blogs that have featured me! I started this journey because I felt like something was missing from my life. I love my children and my husband more that words can say but I have always been a creative soul with a love for words. This has provided me with the opportunity to be a better wife and mother by challenging me to use my God given talents in a new way. I hope you are still reading when I hit my 200th post.

I would love to hear what your favorite post has been. Leave me a comment!

September 14, 2011

I have been on a "printable" kick lately and let me explain why. My color printer has not worked for about 2 years and for the last 6 months, the black and white hasn't worked either. Finally we got a new printer. It's a cheapy but way better than nothing!

I have also been really getting into using my Creative Memories Story Book Creator for scrapbooks and such. Combining the two together has been tons of fun!

The weather here really cooled off today which made me think it's time to break out the fall and Halloween decor and that means I need to get started on my Christmas prep. Thus I created this Christmas Planner to start getting those jingle bells ringing in my head. They're much nicer to listen to than those dumb bells that clang more often than I would like.

Start by listing all the names of people you need to buy/craft for. Trust me, this list will grow longer as the days grow shorter. Then you can start jotting down ideas and about how much you are able to budget for each recipient. Remember that even a tray of cookies or loaf of homemade bread is still going to cost something. Once you've finished a friend or family member, teacher or neighbor - check him/her off the list and feel good as you see the check-marks multiply.

I know that for me, sometimes I get so caught up in the baking, decorating, and gift-giving, I forget about the true gift of Christmas. May Jesus's name be at the top of your list this year.